NBC Sports presents 2020 NASCAR Cup Series playoff elimination race from Bristol Saturday night at 7:30 P.M. ET on NBCSN

NBC Sports presents the first elimination race of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs this Saturday night in primetime at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN from iconic Bristol Motor Speedway, as the field of 16 narrows to 12 and drivers fight to keep their championship hopes alive.

Saturday’s coverage on NBCSN begins at 6:30 p.m. ET with the NASCAR America Pre-Race Show, followed by Countdown to Green and the wave of the green flag shortly after 7:30 p.m. ET.

Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski have advanced to the Round of 12 with their wins at Darlington and Richmond, respectively. Denny Hamlin has also advanced by virtue of total points. Kyle Busch, Aric Almirola, Kurt Busch and Clint Bowyer currently occupy the final four spots in the Round of 12 heading to Bristol, while William Byron, Cole Custer, Matt DiBenedetto and Ryan Blaney are on the outside looking in.

2020 NASCAR CUP SERIES PLAYOFF STANDINGS – ENTERING RICHMOND:

Drivers
Points/Wins
Kevin Harvick
1 win
Brad Keselowski
1 win
Denny Hamlin
+64
Joey Logano
+51
Martin Truex Jr.
+38
Austin Dillon
+36
Chase Elliott
+28
Alex Bowman
+27
Kyle Busch
+18
Aric Almirola
+7
Kurt Busch
+7
Clint Bowyer
+3
William Byron
-3
Cole Custer
-8
Matt DiBenedetto
-25
Ryan Blaney
-27

 

NASCAR CUP SERIES RACING FROM BRISTOL – SATURDAY AT 7:30 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

NBC Sports’ NASCAR pre-race host Krista Voda, auto racing icon Kyle Petty, and NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett will host NASCAR AMERICA pre- and post-race shows, as well as Countdown to Green.

NBC Sports’ lead NASCAR race announcer Rick Allen, 21-time Cup Series race winner and “The Mayor” of NASCAR Jeff Burton, two-time Daytona 500 Champion and recent NASCAR Hall of Fame selection Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Daytona 500-winning crew chief Steve Letarte will call the race from the broadcast booth at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C.

Dave Burns, Marty Snider, and Dillon Welch will serve as pit reporters on-site from Bristol. Rutledge Wood will also report from Bristol’s Fan Zone and Victory Lane, sharing unique stories of the track and from fans at home.

KYLE PETTY, JEFF BURTON AND A.J. ALLMENDINGER LOOK AHEAD TO BRISTOL

This week, Kyle Petty, Jeff Burton and A.J. Allmendinger reviewed the weekend at Richmond and looked ahead to Bristol in the latest edition of NASCAR America Splash & Go on the Motorsports on NBC YouTube Channel. Click here to watch the episode.

Burton on struggles of Joe Gibbs Racing in Playoffs: “We saw the same thing at Darlington. They ran very well there, then they lost track position and then they went nowhere. That’s two races in a row…you wonder if that’s cause for concern. This was a team that was on fire.”

Burton on Austin Dillon: “Austin Dillon is the surprise of the year – not just the Playoffs. I didn’t see this coming. I just didn’t see it at all. Credit and kudos to them because they stepped their game up and found a way to bring speed to the Playoffs…at Richmond, they were lights out.”

Petty on bubble drivers: “These guys are working without a net. We’re going to Bristol with the Flying Wallendas and there’s six or seven of them, and a couple of them are going to hit the ground…I feel bad for them, but they had 26 races to gain playoff points and they missed it in those 26. I don’t know what would make any of us think that they would have a spectacular run at Bristol.”

Burton on Ryan Blaney: “If you look at the number of races Ryan Blaney has led at Bristol, and the number of times he has been leading when he got into a wreck…he has the speed…I think he can ‘win’ himself in. He is the guy that I think has enough speed and has shown me at Bristol to have enough speed where he can win this race and advance.”

Petty on Blaney: “Let me say this – if he wins Bristol, he wins the Championship – what concerns me about Blaney and that team are the points you’ve brought up…they’ve had speed, they’ve led races, they’ve run up front, and they’ve given it away in Stage 3 almost every time. They should be sitting here right now with at least three or four wins.”

Petty on William Byron: “Did he show up at Richmond? I thought I saw him on the grid, but I never saw him after that, and that surprised me. After they came out of Dover, after they went to Daytona, they seemed to be clicking…but they just absolutely missed it (at Richmond).”

 

XFINITY SERIES RACING FROM BRISTOL – FRIDAY AT 7 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

Bristol hosts the regular season finale for the NASCAR Xfinity Series, which has eleven of its 12 Playoff spots decided entering the “World’s Fastest Half Mile.” Brandon Brown currently holds a 49-point advantage over Jeremy Clements for the final open spot.

Rick Allen, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Burton and Kyle Petty will call Friday’s Xfinity race on NBCSN. Steve Letarte will be on site at Bristol, roaming pit road from the lens of a crew chief. Burns and Welch will serve as Friday’s pit reporters.

JUSTIN ALLGAIER FEATURED GUEST ON DALE JR. DOWNLOAD TODAY AT 6 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

JR Motorsports driver Justin Allgaier is this week’s guest on the Dale Jr. Download tonight at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN, following his Xfinity Series doubleheader sweep at Richmond last weekend. Allgaier is seeking to win his first series title after making the Championship 4 in three of the past four seasons.

Produced on-site at Dirty Mo Media Studios in Mooresville, N.C., the Dale Jr. Download on NBCSN takes viewers couch-side for the taping of the motorsports icon’s weekly podcast, featuring unparalleled perspective, candid commentary, and insight that fans have come to expect from Dale Jr.

2020 PIT CREW ALL-STARS TO BE RECOGNIZED DURING NASCAR PLAYOFFS

During the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, NBC Sports will salute this year’s Pit Crew All-Stars. This group of unsung heroes – 16 in all, matching the 16 Playoff drivers – comes from the ranks of over-the-wall crew members, engineers, shop employees, hauler drivers, and/or team officials. Throughout the Playoffs, NBC will showcase the All-Stars’ stories, and what makes them and their abilities so special

 

MOTOGP EMILIA ROMAGNA GRAND PRIX AT MISANO WORLD CIRCUIT LIVE SUNDAY AT 7:30 A.M. ET ON NBCSN

The 2020 MotoGP season continues on Sunday from Misano World Circuit live at 7:30 a.m. ET on NBCSN. Ducati rider Andrea Dovizioso enters Sunday as the new leader in the points standings after finishing seventh in last week’s race at Misano, which saw the first career MotoGP win for Petronas Yamaha rider Franco Morbidelli. Leigh Diffey and Ben Bostrom will anchor coverage.

 

LUCAS OIL PRO MOTOCROSS SPRING CREEK NATIONAL – SATURDAY AT 11:30 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

NBC Sports continues its coverage of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross 2020 campaign with the Spring Creek National this Saturday night at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, following live Cup Series racing from Bristol. Zach Osborne, who took the first race at the RedBud National on Sept. 4, leads the 450 Class standings by 28 points over Marvin Musquin.

Race announcer Jason Weigandt will call the event alongside analyst and two-time AMA Pro Motocross Champion Grant Langston, with Will Christien reporting from the pits.

In addition to coverage on NBC and NBCSN, NBC Sports Gold’s Pro Motocross Pass will super-serve Motocross fans everywhere with programming that includes live, commercial-free coverage of every Moto 1 and Moto 2 from each round.

Following is this week’s motorsports programming across NBC Sports:

DATE

COVERAGE
TIME (ET)
NETWORK
Wed., September 16
Dale Jr. Download with Justin Allgaier  
6 p.m.
NBCSN
Thur., September 17
IMSA Lamborghini – Road Atlanta
Noon
NBCSN
Fri., September 18
Xfinity Series – Countdown to Green
6:30 p.m.
NBCSN
 
NASCAR Xfinity Series Racing – Bristol
7 p.m.
NBCSN
 
Xfinity Series Post-Race
9 p.m.
NBCSN
Sat., September 19
NASCAR America Pre-Race Show
6:30 p.m.
NBCSN
 
Cup Series – Countdown to Green
7 p.m.
NBCSN
 
NASCAR Cup Series Racing – Bristol
7:30 p.m.
NBCSN
 
NASCAR America Post-Race Show
10:30 p.m.
NBCSN
 
Lucas Oil Pro Motocross – Spring Creek National
11:30 p.m.
NBCSN
Sun., September 20
MotoGP – Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
7:30 a.m.
NBCSN

 

NBC SPORTS’ NASCAR COVERAGE

NBC Sports is the official home of the 2020 NASCAR Playoffs, covering the race for the NASCAR Cup Series & NASCAR Xfinity Series championships. NBC Sports’ NASCAR programming also includes NBCSN’s daily motorsports show, NASCAR America; races from NASCAR’s regional touring series; annual events such as the NASCAR Cup Series Awards and NASCAR Hall of Fame induction ceremony; and original programming specials.

NBC Sports PR